General aviation (“GA”) is civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air transport operations for compensation or hire. Although commercial aviation has been touted as one of the safest ways to travel, general aviation flight does not enjoy a similar safety record. In addition, single-pilot general aviation operations are higher risk than dual-pilot general aviation operations.
This variation in the accident rate between a single-pilot aviation flight and a dual-pilot aviation flight can at least be partially attributed to the increased cognitive load single-pilots endure when a co-pilot is not present with them in the cockpit. Pilots who are controlling aircraft by themselves often time have to perform multiple tasks simultaneously and are unable to delegate any of those tasks to another pilot which can lead to a greater chance for human error.
New low-cost technologies that enhance pilot safety and situational awareness, especially in single pilot scenarios, are becoming more prevalent. As an example, computers or computing devices loaded with software and interfaces that reduce pilot cognitive load can be employed by a pilot. In one or more examples, these technologies can be loaded onto a mobile computing device that can be used in-flight to aid the pilot by providing information that the pilot can use to better operate the aircraft. The mobile computing device can use audio signals to communicate with the pilot, not only by providing information to the pilot through voice but also by interpreting verbal commands spoken by a pilot.
However, the cockpit environment may cause interference with the operation of a mobile computing device as described above. Cockpits can often contain a significant amount of ambient noise caused by the engine of the plane and other sources. This ambient noise can often hinder communications between a pilot and a mobile computing device, which can lead to a decline in the usability of a mobile computing device to aid the pilot. Furthermore, the pilot must be able to both speak and listen to air traffic controllers during a flight, and any mobile computing device should not disturb or frustrate those communications; otherwise the risk of pilot error may increase.